Myths and Legends of the Great Plains

Page: 59

“Younger brother, what has made you fat?”
“Elder brother,” said the Gray Fox, “I lie
down on the trail in the way of those who carry crackers,
and I pretend to be dead. When they throw me in
the wagon, I lie there, kicking the crackers out. Then
I leap out and start home eating. It is the crackers
which make me fat. Elder brother, I wish you would
do likewise. Elder brother, you have large feet, so
I think will knock out a great many crackers.”

Coyote went to the place and lay down in the trail.
When the white man came along, he threw Coyote into
the wagon. The white man thought, “It is not the
first time he has acted in this way,” so he tied the feet
of Coyote. Having put the Coyote in the wagon, the
white man went to his house. He threw Coyote out
near an old outhouse. Then the white man brought a
knife, and cut the cords which bound Coyote’s feet. He
acted as if Coyote was dead, so he threw him over his
back and started off for the house.

[Pg 177]
But Coyote managed to get loose and ran homeward.
He went back to get even with Gray Fox.

“Oh, younger brother,” said Coyote, “you have
made me suffer.”

“You yourself are to blame,” said Gray Fox. “Be
silent and listen to me. You brought the trouble
on yourself as you lay down in the place where the
white man came with his load of goods.”

“Oh, younger brother, you tell the truth,” said
Coyote. But Gray Fox had tempted him.

ICTINIKE AND THE TURTLE

Omaha

Ictinike was journeying. When he came in
sight at a bend of a stream, Big Turtle was sitting
there in a sheltered place warmed by the sun.
Ictinike drew himself back out of sight, crouching at
intervals as he retraced his steps, and ran down the
hill to where Big Turtle was.

“Why! How is it that you continue to pay no attention
to what is going on? It has been said that yonder
stream is to dry up so that all the four-footed animals
that frequent the water have kept close to the deep
water,” said Ictinike.

Big Turtle said, “Why! I have been coming here
regularly, but I have not heard anything at all. I
usually come and sit in this place when the sun gets
as high as it is at present.”

“Hurry!” said Ictinike, “for some of the young
men died very soon for want of water. The young
otters died, so did the young muskrats, the young beavers,
and the young raccoons.”

“Come, let us go,” said Big Turtle. So Ictinike
[Pg 179]
departed with him. As he accompanied him, Ictinike
sought for a dry bone. Having found one that would
be good as a club, Ictinike said, “Friend, go on.
Mingam.”

When he was alone, Ictinike seized the bone, and
before long overtook Big Turtle, walking along beside
him.

“Friend,” said he, “when a person walks, he
stretches his neck often.”

So Big Turtle began to stretch his neck very far, and
he was walking with his legs bent very much. As he
was going thus, Ictinike gave him a hard blow on the
neck, knocking him senseless, and he did not stop beating
him until he had killed him.

“Ha, ha!” said Ictinike, as he carried Big Turtle
away. “There are some days when I act thus for
myself.”

He kindled a fire and began to roast Big Turtle.
Then he became very sleepy, and said, “Ho! I will
sleep, but you, O, Ijaxe, must keep awake. Big Turtle,
when you are cooked, you must say, ‘Puff!’”

So he went to sleep. Now Coyote came along, very
cautiously. He seized Big Turtle, pulled one of the
legs out of the fire, and sat there, biting off the meat.
When he had eaten all the meat on all the legs, he
pushed the bones back just as they had been before,
[Pg 180]
arranged the fire over them, and left after putting
everything just as he had found it.